The U.S. Air Force made a dramatic medical rescue over the weekend and airlifted a critically ill passenger from a cruise ship 350 nautical miles offshore.
The mission conducted by the 920th Rescue Wing on May 4 took over eight hours, more than 1,000 miles flown, and involved three helicopter air-to-air refuelings, according to aAdditionally, two HH-60G Pave Hawk helicopters, two HC-130J Combat King II aircraft, and two teams of combat rescue officers and pararescuemen were called into action from Patrick Space Force Base in Florida.
Due to the distance that had to be covered, a HAAR, "which involves connecting a probe from the helicopter to a drogue on the HC-130J aircraft, allowing fuel transfer mid-flight," also had to be deployed. According to the news release, pararescuemen were hoisted down when the aircraft arrived at the ship and immediately began preparing the patient. The patient and his mother were hoisted up to the helicopter. The patient then received medical attention while on the way to the nearest hospital."Everyone in the wing mobilized with exceptional speed," said Capt. Dylan Gann, 301st Rescue Squadron pilot.